“Wow,” I say, pulling my hand from Mia’s. I slowly begin to pace. “I don’t know what to say. I mean, I love that house and everything about it, but it’s a house for a family, and…” I apologetically glance to Mia for what’s about to leave my lips. “There’s a chance it won’t be filled with children if we live there,” I say regretfully.
An awkward silence fills the room, and I hate the guilt that mars Mia’s face, as if she’s the reason we won’t fill that house with children. I lean over the countertop and take her hand into mine.
I sigh heavily before I speak, “Mia and I still have a lot of things to deal with, issues we need to face. We only just got in a good place again, and we don’t know what our future holds other than the two of us being together. Is it okay if we think about it?” I ask my dad, knowing Mia and I need to discuss it together.
“Of course you can, son. I would still like to sign the house over to you. I would love to keep it in the family, but I can’t force you. It has to be what you both want.”
“Thank you,” I tell my dad.
The doorbell rings, alerting us to our arriving guests. Mia lets go of my hand to answer and shoots off into the direction of the door, as if she can’t get out of the kitchen fast enough.
“I’ll be right back,” I say to my dad before catching up with Mia in the foyer. I take her by the wrist and pull her to me. “Hey, are you okay?” I ask her, assessing her eyes to see if they’ll tell me anything.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She tries to brush me off, but with how edgy she’s being and the haunted look upon her face, I can tell she’s anything but fine.
“Really?” I ask, knowing she’s lying.
Her shoulders drop down low, and she gives a shake of the head. “I just…the mention of children is still a sore spot for me. The thought of not having children hurts, but the thought of having them and then having them taken away like Erika was hurts even more. I can’t…you know. It’s hard.”
Her eyes begin to fill with tears, and immediately, I bring her into my arms.
“I know, baby. That, in there, was a lot to take in. He didn’t mean anything by what he was saying though. Hell, I don’t think he knew what the hell he was trying to say. The old man just started rambling,” I say lightheartedly.
She softly giggles.
“He’ll start a conversation on one thing, and nine times out of ten, he’ll go off on a tangent. It’s just how he is. I know I probably didn’t help with my comment, but it was the truth.”
“It’s not what either you or your dad said, but the mention of children is a trigger. I can’t help it; it’s just how my mind works though. I’ve turned into a basket case.”
I capture a tear that’s managed to fall along her cheek. “You’re not a basket case. I mean, you are when it’s that time of the month, but honestly, all women are.” I smirk.
She playfully slaps my chest, laughing, and I’m happy I put a smile on her face.
“Just kidding, babe,” I say lightheartedly before I allow the smile to fall, looking Mia in the eye. “We’ll talk about everything tomorrow, but for tonight, let’s get drunk and have fun, okay?”
She gives a little nod, a grin appearing on her face just as the doorbell rings again, followed by impatient knocking.
Mia steps out of my grasp. “We’d better let the crew in,” she says.
She opens the door.
We hear Junior before we can even see him. “About time! What took you so long?”
“Sorry, bud,” I say when he steps out from behind Drew.
He’s followed by Drew’s nephew, Mason, and they both walk through the door. I hold my hand out, and I give them each a high five as everyone else piles in.
“I brought a guest,” Jo announces.
That’s when I spot her friend Kaelyn beside her, whom I’ve met a few times. I bring Jo in for a hug.
She whispers in my ear, “Sorry to show up with Kaelyn unannounced, but the douche bag she was seeing did a number on her, and let’s just say, he’s lucky he has his balls intact. So, instead of letting her cry herself into a pint of ice cream tonight, I dragged her here.”
“Enough said,” I say as we pull away. I greet her friend, “Hey, it’s good to see you again.”
She grins, and considering she’s just split up with her boyfriend, she seems rather chipper. “Thanks for having me.” She unzips her jacket before scowling at Jo. “I apologize for the way I’m dressed tonight, but someone—and I mean, Jo—didn’t tell me it was PJs-themed.”
“Hey, it’s okay,” Mia pipes up from behind. “You can borrow a pair of mine if you’d like. In fact, I have a new pair of cute pajamas I haven’t even worn yet, but they do have the words Hug Me scrawled across the T-shirt, so be prepared.”
“That would be amazing. Thank you. And I happen to love hugs.” Kaelyn beams.
Mia links her arm with Kaelyn’s. “Come on, I’ll show you where to change.” Mia leads her upstairs.
I smile at my wife when she briefly looks back at me. I mouth the words, I love you.
Her eyes sparkle as she repeats the words before turning back around.
God, my wife is a fucking superstar.
Soon enough, most people arrive, and the party gets started. Music pumps from the Bose speakers in the dining room that filters easily through the house. Junior and Mason—or I should say, Spider-Man and Batman—are both jamming on Guitar Hero.
My dad is set up at the poker table in the kitchen with Drew; my best friend, Matt; Mia’s brother, Dan; and her dad, Timothy.
Mia, Jo, Kaelyn, Alex along with Dan’s girlfriend, Natasha, and Mia’s mom, Lauren, are busy making hurricanes at the cocktail station. Harley excitedly wags his tail as he runs in and out of the house via the backdoor with Alex’s beagle named Baxter chasing Harley’s tail, both playing. It’s not often Harley gets to interact with other dogs, but when he does, he turns into a complete goofball.
I sidle up to Jo, who is taking a rather large sip from the hurricane. “Hi, Wonder Woman,” I say, looking down at her Wonder Woman pajamas.
She smiles around her straw. “Hi…Spock?” she says it like a question since my pajamas are Star Trek-themed rather than character-themed.
“No, I prefer Captain Kirk. So, just call me James.”
At the mention of him, I glance at Mia, who’s just finished making herself a hurricane, and I find her eyes on me as she sniggers.
I wink before snatching the drink from her hand. “Thanks, baby.”
She gives out a fake huff of annoyance before turning back to the cocktail station with a smile. I focus my attention on Jo, and I see her looking down at my hurricane with a highly amused smile.
“I didn’t realize you drank such girlie drinks, Tyler. Did you grow a vagina without telling me?”
In a discreet but obvious way, I flip her the bird. “There is nothing girlie about this drink. It’s named hurricane, which tells you the rum in this is lethal. Three of these, and you’ll be on your ass.”
“Well, it’s a good thing we’re staying the night here then,” she states with a bright smile, taking another big sip of her girlie drink.
“So, Mia just told us all about your Halloween Christmas. It sounds like it was fun.”
“Yes, it was great. It’s exactly what we needed after everything. I actually have Junior’s gifts. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get them to him on Christmas Day. I’m guessing I blew the Santa cover, huh?”
“Actually, some little shit in his class told him he wasn’t real, so now, the cat is out of the bag.”
I go to speak when the doorbell rings, and I smile, knowing exactly who it is. I find it odd he didn’t have plans on New Year’s Eve.
He invited me over to watch a game two nights ago, and I asked him what his plans were for this night. When he told me he didn’t have a single one since his wife would be out of town, he got an instant invite for tonight. No one deserves to spend New Year’s on their own. I mean, I don’t think t
here is a single person who won’t know who he is or what position he plays, but I also know, after a few minutes in his presence, they’ll forget he’s a celebrity, and he’ll be able to let his hair down and be a muggle for a while.
“Oh, that must be the person who will help put me back in my nephew’s good graces again,” I say as I set my drink down on the counter.
Jo hitches a brow up with intrigue, and I give her a shit-eating grin as I head in the direction of the door. When I open the door, I smile, shaking my head a little.
“Well, damn. I knew you said you were going to come tonight, but never in my life did I think that Chase motherfucking Henderson would be wearing a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles onesie, standing at my door to attend my New Year’s Eve party. I almost feel like I should bow at your feet and call you sir.”
Chase lets out a chuckle as I step aside to let him in. “Please, my head is already big enough. I don’t need you filling my ego as well.”
I clap him on the back as I shut the door behind him. “If you weren’t so good at your job, I wouldn’t get starstruck every time I saw you.”
I’m kidding. At first, just being in his presence was awe-inspiring, but after we hung out a few times—away from our work duties—I quickly realized he was just a normal, down-to-earth guy who belched and farted just like anybody else. Honestly, he’s a great guy, and we’ve developed somewhat of a budding bromance—or at least, that’s what I like to call it.
“Seriously, if my head gets any bigger, I won’t be able to fit it in my Ferrari, and I fricking love that car.”
“Rich-boy problems,” I quip.
He sniggers.
“Okay, so things might get a little manic when you step through that door.” I point to the door that leads through to the living room. “You’re a celebrity, and…well, I just want to let you know it might get weird for a little bit, but I swear, my family isn’t crazy.”
“It’s fine. After years of being in the public eye, I’m used to the attention. Bring it on.”
And, with that, I enter the living room with Chase Henderson, the center for the Dallas Stars, following behind me. I mean, if that’s not what fairy tales are made of, I don’t know what is.
Mason’s the first to turn to us as we walk through, and his mouth pops open when he takes in the six-foot-two body of Chase Henderson. He elbows Junior in the ribs, and Junior stares at him with irritation as Mason no doubt fucked up Junior’s jam in Guitar Hero.
“Junior, look behind you.” Mason points nervously toward Chase.
I grin as Junior’s jaw drops when he sees who’s only a few feet from him. Unlike Mason, who’s a little more reserved, Junior goes batshit crazy.
“Chase Henderson!” He flings the guitar over his head before charging over, excitement evident in his eyes.
“Hey, you must be Junior. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Junior’s eyes flick to mine with utter amazement, almost like he’s astonished that Chase knows exactly who he is.
“Yes, I’m Junior. I’m such a huge fan. I mean, hockey isn’t my favorite sport, but it’s my fourth favorite.”
Chase fights a smile and crouches down to his level. “Wow, only fourth, huh? What are your first three favorites?”
Junior’s face lights up. “Well, soccer is my first favorite, football is my second, and baseball is my third.”
“Yeah, I heard you’re killer on the soccer field.”
“Oh, yeah, I totally rock.”
Jesus, more and more, this kid sounds like me. He’ll be an arrogant son of a bitch like me.
“Mason plays, too. But can I let you in on a little secret?” Junior edges closer to Chase and not so whispers, “He’s not very good.”
Mason playfully shoves Junior. “Hey, I heard that.”
They both giggle while Chase and I laugh under our breaths.
Chase then glances over at the screen where the animated audience, long ago abandoned at the hands of Chase, is angrily booing. “I don’t think your fans are too happy with you. How about you get back to them, and we can jam a little later?”
“That would be awesome!” Junior exclaims.
I eventually drag Chase away from the boys, and then a whole wave of new excitement buzzes around him the instant we step into the kitchen. Everyone—except for Mia, Jo, and Kaelyn—rushes over to him.
“Hey!” I yell, grabbing everyone’s attention. “Before you all bombard Chase with the millions of questions I know you’re dying to ask him, at least let the man have a beer in his hand before you talk his ear off.”
I steer him toward the refrigerator and take out the beer I bought especially for him, knowing he was going to grant us with his presence this evening. When I take out a bottle of Birra Moretti, he almost foams at the mouth as I remove the cap with a bottle opener. Since it’s an Italian beer, it doesn’t have the twist tops us lazy Americans love so much.
He dreamily sighs as he takes it from me. “I want to tell you I love you, but I think it’s too early on in our friendship to be declaring the girlie shit.”
I laugh loudly as he lifts the bottle to his lips, and I swear, he makes love to it with his mouth. I’m not gay, but, hell, even I know Chase is a sexy fucker when he does it.
“Ah, fuck it, tell me anyway. I told my wife I loved her after only our third date, and look where it got me. Nothing wrong with being a little premature.”
His eyes travel to where my wife is standing as she laughs at something Kaelyn said. Jo is now sitting in Drew’s lap, who’s in Captain America pajamas, at the poker table.
“And what a fine wife you have, and her friend is just as gorgeous.”
“Hey, I thought you were married?” I question jokingly, laughing.
His face turns stoic as he turns back to me. “Well, my wife is partying it up in LA, leaving her husband at home. So, what does that tell you?”
I let out a long whistle, disliking his wife more and more as he tells me about her.
Gold-digging whore comes to mind.
“It tells me, once you’ve finished that beer, we’re going to need something stronger, and, my friend, I’m going to introduce you to the hurricane, as it will blow your fucking mind.”
He throws back his beer in record time before saying, “Well, show me the way, brother.”
The evening continues, and after such a shit year, it’s definitely going to end with a bang. When the clock nears midnight, everyone—except for the kids—is buzzed from the hurricanes. Laughter fills the entire space of the kitchen and living room. Even my dad has been cracking up laughing more than once tonight, and it’s so nice to see him so carefree even if it’s only for a little while.
I’ve spent the majority of the night taking Matt’s money at the poker table. Then, Chase comes along and takes my money, too.
Fucker.
As Mia predicted, Kaelyn has become a walking, talking teddy bear whenever anyone comes into contact with her, what with her T-shirt saying, Hug Me, on the front, but she welcomes them. I have noticed that the only person who hasn’t forced himself on her is Chase, but I don’t miss the way his eyes keep flickering in her direction every couple of minutes. He’s unable to take his eyes off her. Married or not, he undeniably likes what he sees, but I’m guessing he wishes he could hug her and more…
As the seconds grow closer to midnight, Jo gathers everyone in the living room to watch the ball drop. I grab Mia by the hand and slip outside the back with her without anybody noticing.
“Why’d you bring me out here?” she asks merrily, a little tipsy on the two hurricanes she had. She never used to be a lightweight, but ever since her recent sobriety, her alcohol tolerance has lowered considerably.
I drag her further out into the garden until all that surrounds us are the stars flickering from above as they watch another year pass the world by.
I pull her into me, smiling down at her. “I only want to bring in the New Year with you.”
She beams up at me,
circling her arms around my neck, and presses up to me even closer. “Do you have any New Year’s resolutions?”
“Only one, but it’s more of a lifelong resolution.”
“And what’s that?” she asks, swaying us into a little rhythm even though the music from inside can’t be heard out here.
“It’s going to sound cheesy and pussy-whipped, but I’d gladly honor the title if it comes true.”
She throws her head back on a gentle laugh. “You know resolutions aren’t like birthday wishes, right? You actually have to work toward a resolution; it’s not like a genie’s lamp, and after three rubs, your resolution will come true.”
“Well, it depends on the resolution. If it’s sexual, it could definitely come true if rubbing is involved.”
She playfully smacks me on the chest. “You are just something else, I swear. Now, tell me your life resolution, as it’s almost midnight, and I am hoping to kiss you when the clock strikes twelve.” Just as she says this, we hear everyone inside beginning to count down from twenty.
Twenty seconds to go.
“Mia Bailey, my beautiful, sexy, and hot-as-fuck wife, my life resolution is one that doesn’t need much thought. I want to spend my forever with you. I don’t want to grow old and gray with you. No, I just want to exist with you until the end of time, until we’re a million years old in ghost years. Our forever doesn’t have to include children or even a houseful of dogs, but the one thing I need it to include is you. You’re my forever, baby, and I will spend the rest of our eternity loving you the way you deserve, loving you the only way I know how. It’s the infinite kind of love. Till-forever-do-us-part kind of love.”
Screams of, “Happy New Year,” erupt from inside the house.
An explosion of fireworks from the nearby houses are being set off, coloring the night sky with flashes of glittery light, raining down on us from above.
I don’t get a chance to take them in though as Mia’s mouth takes precedence over everything that’s happening all around us. All I can focus on is her and me and the way her lips dance erotically over mine.
A few minutes later, she pulls back and breathlessly exhales, “That’s the perfect resolution. I hope you don’t mind that I’m going to make that mine, too.”
Till Forever Page 30
